http://www.fredericknewspost.com/display.cfm?storyid=6973
Hagy wants NRA program
By Kate Leckie, News-Post Staff
Eddie Eagle will fly again in Frederick County schools, if Sheriff Jim Hagy has anything to say about it.
It's been almost a year since school officials asked deputies not to use material from the National Rifle Association, including the Eddie Eagle mascot, when teaching gun safety to the county's youngsters.
But with the recent arrival of a $2,650 eagle costume supplied through a grant from the NRA, Sheriff Hagy is ready to try again.
"It is my intention to set up an appointment to go before the school board in the next month or so to make the same presentation to school officials that we've done in the schools in the past," Sheriff Hagy said.
During the presentation, the sheriff plans to give school board members a look at the costume and the seven-minute instructional video that the youngsters will see for themselves.
In the gun safety program, youngsters are taught through repetition the four steps to follow if they come across a gun, whether they find the weapon at home or elsewhere.
"Stop. Don't touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult," the children are told.
Regarding the controversy last fall when some people objected to the eagle mascot's connection to the NRA, Sheriff Hagy said, "I think what was happening was that the messenger (the NRA) was the one that was getting killed, not the message" of gun safety.
Sheriff Hagy said the program, which began in Frederick County in the early 1990s, has had its successes. Children who found weapons followed the program's steps they had learned in school and went to adults for help.
School officials could not be reached for comment Thursday about the sheriff's plans because they were attending workshops at Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg.
Sheriff Hagy said, "We have the opportunity to do something positive, to prevent gun accidents, and we'd be remiss if we didn't look at this program and utilize a teaching tool that I know will benefit the kids."
"If they don't want it taught in the schools, we'll still teach it" elsewhere, the sheriff said.
"But I think once they see the program, I don't think that will be the case. Time will tell."
Copyright 1997-00 Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company.
Hagy wants NRA program
By Kate Leckie, News-Post Staff
Eddie Eagle will fly again in Frederick County schools, if Sheriff Jim Hagy has anything to say about it.
It's been almost a year since school officials asked deputies not to use material from the National Rifle Association, including the Eddie Eagle mascot, when teaching gun safety to the county's youngsters.
But with the recent arrival of a $2,650 eagle costume supplied through a grant from the NRA, Sheriff Hagy is ready to try again.
"It is my intention to set up an appointment to go before the school board in the next month or so to make the same presentation to school officials that we've done in the schools in the past," Sheriff Hagy said.
During the presentation, the sheriff plans to give school board members a look at the costume and the seven-minute instructional video that the youngsters will see for themselves.
In the gun safety program, youngsters are taught through repetition the four steps to follow if they come across a gun, whether they find the weapon at home or elsewhere.
"Stop. Don't touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult," the children are told.
Regarding the controversy last fall when some people objected to the eagle mascot's connection to the NRA, Sheriff Hagy said, "I think what was happening was that the messenger (the NRA) was the one that was getting killed, not the message" of gun safety.
Sheriff Hagy said the program, which began in Frederick County in the early 1990s, has had its successes. Children who found weapons followed the program's steps they had learned in school and went to adults for help.
School officials could not be reached for comment Thursday about the sheriff's plans because they were attending workshops at Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg.
Sheriff Hagy said, "We have the opportunity to do something positive, to prevent gun accidents, and we'd be remiss if we didn't look at this program and utilize a teaching tool that I know will benefit the kids."
"If they don't want it taught in the schools, we'll still teach it" elsewhere, the sheriff said.
"But I think once they see the program, I don't think that will be the case. Time will tell."
Copyright 1997-00 Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company.